Chapter 17: The First Letter (17)
Chapter 17: The First Letter (17)
A long silence hung in the air. I couldn't quite grasp Seria’s intentions.
Was she angry? In a way, I had dragged her into my personal fight. After all, Seria and Emma were complete strangers.
Or perhaps it was a simple question. With Seria, that was a distinct possibility. She was indifferent to most things outside of the sword, and she was even more inept when it came to human relationships.
Unable to find a clear answer, I hesitated, averting my gaze for a moment. But in the end, what spilled from my lips were my honest feelings, stripped of all pretense.
"…I don't know either."
That word, escaping with a sigh, was my true heart.
Honestly, I didn't know. I didn't know why I had become so obsessed with a letter from the future.
It could be a sense of duty, or perhaps responsibility. However, no motive is ever driven by purely singular emotions. Perhaps, from the moment I heard the news that Emma had collapsed, I had been governed by those very feelings.
Guilt, and beyond that, anger.
The only ritual of atonement that could wash away my sense of sin toward the enemy who hurt Emma.
It was a thirst for revenge.
Of course, it was a foolish judgment. Killing the demonic beasts emerging from the forest was no guarantee that Emma would wake up.
It might be different if I offered a worthy sacrifice to the God Arus to receive a miracle. But neither Emma, nor Emma’s father, nor I had the luxury for such things.
I knew it. I knew these were meaningless emotions.
But how could I pretend not to know? The fact that I couldn't stop Emma, that I couldn't protect her—if only I had spoken the contents of the letter more firmly.
If I had, perhaps it would have been less painful. But the scene of that day was still vivid in my mind.
The sight of the wailing villager—Emma’s father screamed as if his last hope had been torn away. That memory overlapped with the gentle smile Emma always wore.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't suffering. No, the truth was, I was suffering even now. My chest stung, and a heavy guilt felt as if it were quietly pressing down on my lungs.
I quietly bit my lip and took a sip of water from my canteen. There was only a little water left now.
"But it's true that I came all this way to find the demonic beasts. If they attack the students again, there could be casualties."
"Is that why you chose me?"
Another question was thrown at me as she stared blankly.
It was likely the question Seria truly wanted to ask. Confident, and yet arrogant.
Seria was a skilled swordsman. Therefore, she would be a great asset when facing demonic beasts. She would be better than Celine, who was at best on a similar level to me.
Because the word 'friend' was unfamiliar to her, she doubted once more and deduced possibilities.
For someone who would one day hold a high position, that was a virtue. But today, it was a hollow suspicion.
I gave a bitter smile and shook my head. My plan didn't involve engaging in combat.
"Not at all. I know my place. It's dangerous to face a demonic beast with my current skills. And of course, I have no intention of forcing that danger on you."
If that had been the case, I would have explained my plan to Seria in advance and politely asked for her understanding. No matter how skilled a swordsman is, facing a demonic beast is a matter of putting one's life on the line.
The opponents were monsters packed with nothing but hostility toward humanity. It was only natural that a single slip-up could cost one's life.
However, Seria still seemed to hesitate. She parted her lips with difficulty.
"…But, you said just now that you didn't know."
"I want to kill the demonic beasts, certainly."
I said as I stood up. It was about time to end our rest. I brushed off my pant legs, and the downy, seed-like particles clinging to them scattered into the air.
"But what I want to do and what I can do are different. Someone like me has to be good at distinguishing between the two if I want to survive."
Even after my answer, the doubt hadn't quite left Seria’s face. She closed her eyes for a moment in thought, then asked me.
"Is it because you are friends?"
I didn't ask "what" she meant. It was clear enough who she was asking about.
She was talking about Emma. To explain why I was so obsessed with the demonic beasts in the forest, Emma's existence was indispensable.
Seria was looking for the cause of my emotions in her. Of course, my situation was a bit more complicated.
There was a love letter from the future, Emma was attacked exactly as described in that letter, and if the next attack was scheduled for today's training?
I had no intention of regretting again. I was sick of sitting blankly by the bedside of a heavily injured friend.
I couldn't explain that long story to Seria. If she heard it, she might conclude that I had lost my mind, just like Reto or Celine.
So, I simply asked Seria back.
"What do you think it would be like?"
"…?"
At the returned question, Seria stared at me in silence, seemingly surprised.
Her eyes asked what I meant, so I gave a slight smile and asked her again.
"How do you think you'd feel if I were attacked by a demonic beast? And if I were heavily injured, hovering between life and death."
Only then did Seria seem to realize my meaning, letting out a soft "Ah" as she fell into thought.
With her eyes closed, she tilted her head this way and that. It was a cute side of her she hadn't shown until now. She probably had never fallen into such deep thought in front of me before.
It was that difficult of a problem. After being lost in thought for a long time, Seria spoke.
"…I think I would be a little angry."
She left me with an answer that made me feel gratified. When she opened her eyes again, her pupils were calm yet cold.
That gaze served as her answer. As if I had expected it, I walked over and patted her shoulder.
"Exactly. That's why we're friends."
"Friends…."
Seria had a dazed look in her eyes, as if she had just realized something. The words 'friends' were repeated over and over by her lips.
For her, it was the first proof of friendship she had ever obtained. She might have been deeply moved.
Of course, she would get used to it in the future. She was a woman who excelled in appearance, ability, and background. If she only developed her social skills, people would be lining up to be her friend.
I watched Seria for a moment, then shifted my gaze to look around.
The forest was still quiet. Since it was still midday, not even the sound of insects could be heard. It was a scene sufficient to make one doubt the contents of the letter—that a demonic beast would attack.
Was an attack really coming?
I might have overreacted. After all, a letter from seven years in the future—wasn't that too much of a joke?
The matter with Emma might have been a mere coincidence.
As the Hunting Festival approaches, the number of demonic beasts appearing in the forest increases. It was possible that one of them had simply been unlucky enough to attack Emma.
There was a cowardly side of me that wished that were the case.
I was merely the second son of a rural viscount. My background and skills were mediocre. To me, stories about the world ending, or a friend getting hurt because I didn't share the contents of a letter, were too heavy and painful.
However, there was another part of me, waiting for the demonic beast's attack with my senses sharpened.
It wasn't a matter of logic, rationality, or reason. An animalistic intuition was telling me. That I shouldn't ignore that letter, and that was why Emma had collapsed like that.
Which of the two was right was soon revealed.
Rustle. A very faint presence.
It was a minute vibration that I could feel because my senses had become sharper since losing my memory, combined with the fact that I was on high alert. But the moment I detected that sound, my heart began to race wildly.
They were targeting us. It was a movement shown because they had already noticed the presence of Seria and me. Otherwise, they wouldn't be walking with such bated breath.
I poked the side of Seria, who was still muttering the word 'friend' with a faint smile on her face.
Poke. My finger sank into her soft skin. Seria looked at me in startle, but she quickly shut her mouth when I placed my index finger against my philtrum.
Her gaze turned serious. As she closed her eyes and spread her Qi Sense, her expression grew darker and darker.
"So far, no particular presence… no, one? Two? Four?"
As her voice continued word by word, the number she spoke grew larger. I felt a chill run down my spine as I listened.
It wasn't just one. They were demonic beasts, but they were acting in a group.
That's why they had made such a bold plan to attack the Academy students. There were many of them, and in today's training, the students were moving in pairs.
Even if she had been distracted, Seria was still Seria. Since even she was confused by their presence at first, most of the students participating in today's training wouldn't even notice the existence of the demonic beasts.
There was no need to even think about what the conclusion would be.
It would be a bloodbath. Seria seemed to have reached a similar conclusion, as she lowered her voice and moved her hand to the sword at her waist.
"Senior Ian, shall we strike first?"
It was a very rational suggestion. The enemies were aware of our presence, but they hadn't realized that we were aware of theirs.
If a fight were to break out, the side that struck first would have an absolute advantage. Even without that, the forest was an unfavorable battlefield. If we could tip the scales of victory even slightly, we had to do whatever it took.
Seria had a history of participating in demonic beast subjugations several times. Her judgment was accurate.
Provided, of course, that the goal was to subjugate the demonic beasts.
I shook my head.
"No, there's no need for that. There are too many of them. Even you could get hurt."
Seria, who looked ready to spring forward at any moment, hesitated. Her puzzled gaze turned toward me.
"But, then how…?"
"We bolt."
It was an answer without a shred of hesitation.
Because of that, Seria looked at me with an even more bewildered expression. It was the look of someone who had just heard an option they hadn't even considered.
But for me, it was a perfectly rational decision.
Why on earth would I take an unnecessary risk? I immediately began to persuade Seria.
"I told you, I don't need to take risks. There's no reason for us to face those demonic beasts. There's still some distance between us and them, so we can just run quickly and inform Professor Derek."
Then it would be over. After that, Professor Derek would step in, and the legendary demonic beast hunter would show off his true skills and lop off the heads of the demonic beasts.
The risk was low, and the effect was certain. There was no reason not to choose this option.
Seria also seemed to think my suggestion was right deep down. She parted her lips as if to retort, but then pressed them firmly shut.
However, she merely muttered with a gaze that hadn't entirely cast off its hesitation.
"But…."
"Seria, this isn't the time to worry about your pride."
Running away—regardless of the era or region, it was a shameful thing for a swordsman. But what could be done? You couldn't exchange your pride for your life. This, too, was common sense.
Seria couldn't easily shake off her hesitation. But the moment she met my eyes, which were filled with strong will, she had no choice but to nod as if she couldn't help it.
No one should get hurt. That was the only wish I had right now.
"…Understood."
Though she still seemed reluctant, Seria seemed to have decided to follow me for now.
In the distance, I could feel the presence of the demonic beasts drawing closer. Seria and I began to run, keeping our presence suppressed.
For a while, the demonic beasts didn't notice our movement. But at some point, they must have judged that the distance between us had grown too large, as they began a full-scale pursuit.
However, we had already put quite a bit of distance between us and the demonic beasts. No matter how fast they were, the size of the forest was limited. If we kept running like this, Professor Derek would soon notice.
In the meantime, it was enough for Seria and me to act as decoys so that the demonic beasts couldn't attack other students. With that, my plan would be complete.
An incident where no one got hurt, something that could be used as a story over drinks in the future.
That's how it should have been.
"Ah, ugh…!"
If only Seria, who was running beside me, hadn't come to a stop with a faint groan.
She grabbed her ankle. That area felt somewhat familiar. I immediately recalled the scene I had witnessed a few days ago.
The sight of Seria spraining her ankle and being unable to even move properly.
My heart went cold.
No matter how much you treat it with a healing potion, the fatigue in the joints isn't fully relieved. That's why I told her several times that it was dangerous.
A curse almost slipped out of my mouth, but Seria’s condition was the priority. I rushed to her with a frantic look in my eyes.
Seria was crouched down, groaning. The pain she couldn't hide was plain on her face.
"Seria, are you okay?"
"Go… go on ahead, Senior Ian."
I was momentarily dazed by those words. What was she saying right now?
Telling me to go on ahead meant she could no longer keep up the pace. It was her will not to become a burden.
But the problem was, if the injury was severe enough that she couldn't run, she would also have to give up her mobility in combat.
There was no need to explain how disadvantageous it was to have unnatural movements. And in that state, she was going to face not one, but several demonic beasts?
It was impossible. It was no different from saying she would die. I shouted, overcome with emotion.
"Are you crazy? No matter how good you are, if you can't use your legs…."
"It's my fault."
Seria’s answer was excessively calm. So, I shut my mouth.
She had a look of resignation in her eyes. Nevertheless, her hand was fumbling for the hilt of the sword at her waist, as if she wouldn't die easily.
"I should take responsibility. I have that much decency, Senior Ian."
In its own way, it made sense.
I had warned her that using healing potions would put a strain on her ankle joints. But it was Seria who had ignored this and repeated excessive training.
She was already a swordsman. Naturally, she had to take responsibility for her own actions. It was the right thing to say, but I simply couldn't leave her.
No, was it really her responsibility?
If you think about it, wasn't I the one who dragged her into this?
My hair stood on end. Emma and her father flashed before my eyes. Regret, and guilt.
And a thirst for revenge.
As if a fire had been lit, the flame of emotion swallowed the memories stained with remorse. I was desperate. Hadn't I picked up the sword with the vow that I would never regret again?
My eyes quietly stared straight ahead.
I could feel it. They were gradually approaching.
There was no more time.
"Seria, you can walk, right?"
"If I apply a splint, somehow… so don't worry too much and…."
"You go first."
At my low voice, Seria was silenced. She asked back with a slight frown, as if she had misheard.
"…Pardon?"
"I said you go first. I'll stay behind as a decoy."
But my mind was already made up. There was no tremor in my voice. I was merely catching my breath, gauging the presence of the demonic beasts approaching from afar.
Seria, who had been staring at me blankly for a moment, soon shook her head. It meant she couldn't do that. Her voice became urgent.
"I can't do that. It's my fault! I'll take the responsibility, so…."
"Seria."
I stood up and took heavy steps toward the direction the demonic beasts were approaching.
If I had to fight, I had to strike first. It was my first time fighting with my life on the line. Yet, my heart was strangely calm.
It was inexplicable. Ever since I received that letter, everything had been a mess.
Who on earth was I during the time I lost my memory, why had my senses become more acute, and why was my heart so peaceful even before a life-or-death battle?
Leaving all those unsolvable questions behind, I turned my head slightly to look at Seria.
She was waiting for my answer, having even forgotten the pain in her ankle. I decided to remember that dazed expression for a long time.
"Friends don't say things like that to each other."
With those words, I began to run forward. The demonic beasts were approaching. I had to preoccupy a suitable position.
I heard Seria calling me from behind, but I ignored her. She would soon realize that escaping and informing Professor Derek of this situation was the best course of action.
Before fighting the demonic beasts, I fumbled inside my clothes.
I felt it. The hard sensation unique to a potion bottle.
I thought of Emma once more. And her father, who had collapsed with a pale complexion.
The demonic beasts were approaching.